Pot or vase holder



Nov. 10, 1931. J. E. RQTHERMEL POT OR VASE HOLDER Filed Junle 29, 1928 INVENTOR.- l I zzzesEdgarRaiizermei,

v ATTORNEYS.

WI TN ESSES I alsI Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATESy 'PATENT OFFICE JAMES EDGAR ROTHERMEL, 0F LEBAON, PENNSYLVANI POT OR VASE HOLDER Application led `Tune 29, 1928. Seriall No. 289,310.

vyet sturdy nevertheless; conducive to economic manufacture; capable of being securely anchored in the earth with little effort; susceptible of 4easy manipulation to receive the pot or vase; and having capacity' of maintaining a firm hold on the pot or vase with assurance of its retainment underthe conditions indicated,

Still other objects and attendant advantages will be manifest from the de ailed description which follows or' the typical em? bodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. I is a side elevation of my improved holder showing how the same is employed in supporting a flower pot or vase.

Fig. II is a plan lview of the device with the pot or vase removed, and with a portion broken. away and in section to expose important details; while,

Fig. III is a perspective view of the holder. l l

From these illustrations it will be observed that my improved holderincludes an annular -or ring ortion 5, by which the pot or vase P is em raced beneath the shoulder of its brim B-.see Fig. I. The ring por ion 5 is fashioned in correspondance with the Itaper of the pot P, from a single piece. of light gage flexible strip metal, the ends whereof overlap as at 6, 7 and are provided with terminal finger lugs 8, 9 for convenience in manipulating the holder, as hereinafter more fully explained. As' shown, a lug 8 on the strip end 6 protrudes through a slot 10 -in the strip end 7 -g'while a lug 9 on the stri end 7 has shght inward projection (F ig. I for gudance in a coextensive slot 11 in the strip en 6. y

The ring portion 5' is supported at an elevation by a number of legs 12, whereof there are three in the present instance. These legs 12 are also formed from flexible strip metal and secured at uniform intervals around the ring 5 by welding, or if preferred, by rivets 13 as shown'. The legs 12 are moreover bent Outward into divergent relation for greater stability of the holder, and have their ends tapered, as at 12a to facilitate penetration of the earth by them.

At a level well below the ring portion 5, the legs 12 are connected by a tri-arm spider 15 whereof the extremities are designated by the numerals 15a, 15b and 15e. In keeping with the other parts of the holder, the spider 15 is likewise formed from flexible strip metal, two pieces being employed, one constituting the arm 15a and the oher both the arms 15b and 150. The outer ends of the spider arms 15a, 15b and 15o are permanently secured to the legs either by welding o'r riveting, and the center juncture at 15m may be made in the same way.

In use, the holder is grasped by the ring 5 and its tapered legs pressed down'into the earth as far as permitted by the spider 15, which thus acts as a stop to limit penetration and also as a ground support to assist in stabilizing said holder. Then by pressing the lugs 8 and 9 towar-d each other., between the vfor'efinger and thumb, the ring 5 can be expanded to the extent of the slots 10, 11 in preparation for the reception of the pot or vase P, the legs 12 and spider 15 yielding compensatively to facilitate-the described action. Finally, upon release-of the lugs 8 and 9,#the ring 5 is freed to .contractl under its inherent springiness and effectively embrace the pot or vase P, below the brim B, to retain it in the holder.

From. the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a very simple, compact u and inexpensive holder for plant pots and the like, which although specifically described as being for use on graves or flower beds, may' obviously be employed generally as a holder or support in other connections which may suggest themselves in practice.

Having thus described my invention, I tions of said legs yielding compensatively claim: with the ring portion.

1. A holder of the character described with In testimony whe'reof, I have hereunto a cir'cumferentially-expandable ring portion signed my name at Lebanon, Pennsylvama,

- formed from a unitary exible metallic strip this- 26 day of June, 1928. I 70 with the ends thereof overlapping, co-exten- 4 JAMES EDGAR ROTI-IERMEL.

sive slots through the overlapping ends of the strip, manipulator projections at the strip termini one of which coacts with the slot in lo the overlapping strip while the other has in- 75 ward projection for guidance in the underlapping co-extensive slot, whereby said ring portion may be expanded in preparation for reception of the article to be held thereby, l

and means to support said ring portion at an anelevation.

2. A holder of the character described with a circumferentially-expandable single piece ring portion with co-extensive slots through the overlapping ends, manipulator means one Y 85 of which co-acts with the slot in the overlaping ring end while the other has inward projection for guidance in the underlapping slot,

-or effecting itsexpansion to clampingly eml g5 brace a flower pot or the like, divergent leXi- 90 ble legs to support the ring portion at an elevation and means rigidly connecting the legs atalevelbelowthe ring portion with capacity to permit their upper portions yielding compensatively incidental to expansion and con- 95 traction of said ring portion.

3. A holder of the character described with a circumferentially-expandable single piece ring portion having overlapping slotted ends,

terminal manipulator projections one of 100 which co-acts with the slot in the overlapping ring end wall while the other has inward projection for guidance in the underlapping slot for effecting expansion; of the ring portion y to clampingly embrace a flower pot or the 105 like, divergently-related supporting legs having their ends taperedor capacity to penetrate/the earth in anchoring the holder, and a spider rigidly connecting the legs at a level below the ring portion, sald spider also func- 110 ioning as astop to limit penetration by the egs. j

4. A holder of the character-described cornprising a circumferentially-ex andable single piece ring portion ashione from a leXi- 115 ble metallic strip, the ends of said ring overlapping and being co-extensively slotted, terminal manipulator projections in the strip ends one of which co-acts with the slot in the overlap portion while the other has slight 120 inward projection for guidance in the underlapping strip portion, whereby the rin can be initially expanded to clampingly em race a flower pot or the like, divergently-related legs also formed from strip metal attached 125 to the ring portion to support it at an elevation, and a tri-arm spider connecting the legs at a level below the ring portion, said spider being likewise formed from flexible4 strip M metal with capacity to permit the upper por- "0 

